IRON BBQ

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#2805

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1511

peak 1572 · rated over 30 contests ⓘ

Best runs

straight top-10s

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-10-10

latest 2024-02-24

Best ToY finish

#421

Master 2016

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

6 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 32 contests

Avg finish

top 50%

overall standings

Best overall

679.4288 / 720

Master · Black Forrest Smoke & Wine Festival

Perfect 180s

Current form

622.47 ▼

last 5 Master vs avg 646.60 (-24.12)

Walk rate

81%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

177.1772

Pork · W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest

Consistency

±20.31

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 164.87 · weakest Pork (158.44)

Road miles

16,135

mi across 32 mapped stops · furthest 4922 mi

Schedule strength

21%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1529)

Master avg

646.60 / 720

31 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 found in this team's record)

Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.

They almost always walk

81% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 26 of 32 contests

A top-10 category call in 81% of their 32 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

679.4288 career-best overall

94.4% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 679.4288 at Black Forrest Smoke & Wine Festival — 94.4% of a perfect 720.

Master
2016-07-23

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

BBQ LONGHORN RANCH HANDS has finished one call ahead of IRON BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2017 their best year

2017 was the year it came together: 6 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 0 category wins, at an average finish in the top 39%.

6 contests
2 overall top-10s
0 category wins
average top 39%

A tough matchup

17–4 behind in the head-to-head

BBQ+ ahead in 81% of their meetings

BBQ+ has come out ahead in 17 of their 21 shared contests.

The weak link

−6.4 points behind their best meat

Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 6.43 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 13% of the time against 44%.

Pork avg 158.44
Chicken avg 164.87
4 calls in 31 entries

A strong matchup

10–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of WETTELS ON FIRE in 10 of their 10 shared contests.

The comeback

2.1 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 2.1 years, then back at W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest (2022-03-12).

last seen 2020-01-18
back 2022-03-12

Chicken nemesis

13 of 21 shared chicken entries lost

BBQ+ ahead 62% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, BBQ+ has out-cooked them in 13 of 21 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

ROKENDE REGAHS has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A September team

Top 35% average finish in September

Something about September: average finish in the top 35% across 5 contests, versus top 50% the rest of the year.

5 September contests
top 50% the rest of the year

The long haul

16,135 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 16,135 miles across 32 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 4,922 miles to Small Town Smoke Down Bassano Alberta.

32 mapped stops
furthest 4,922 mi

A standing appointment

4 years running at one contest

They've cooked W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest every year from 2017 to 2020 — the contest they never miss.

6 visits in all
best finish 4th

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.

96 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

GRILLER INSTINCT

#2798 of the rated field

1511 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 15
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1517

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to IRON BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team IRON BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 15 contests
last seen 2021-09-25

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG JOHNSON'S BBQ

#2808 of the rated field

1511 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 25
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 12%
Peak: 1520

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 25 contests to 32, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 24 contests
last seen 2024-07-19

⚔ Head-to-head

SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ

#2794 of the rated field

1511 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1519

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2019, 5 years before IRON BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 24 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

SHADETREECOOKS

#2789 of the rated field

1511 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 16
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 13%
Peak: 1525

No shared contest yet.

16 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 13% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 16 contests
last seen 2015-06-05

⚔ Head-to-head

Good Grefe!

#2793 of the rated field

1511 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 59
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1585

No shared contest yet.

They've been 1585 at their best, 74 points above where they sit today — they're arriving at this rating from above.

rated over 58 contests
last seen 2026-06-13

⚔ Head-to-head

42 BBQ

#2809 of the rated field

1510 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 11
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 9%
Peak: 1525

No shared contest yet.

Level with IRON BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 11 contests
last seen 2026-05-29

⚔ Head-to-head

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
BBQ+	21	4	17	19%	⚔ compare
ROKENDE REGAHS	19	8	11	42%	⚔ compare
BUNCH OF SWINES	17	1	16	6%	⚔ compare
ALLSEASONED DUTCH BBQ TEAM	15	9	6	60%	⚔ compare
PUREBBQ	15	7	8	47%	⚔ compare
DE FILOUS	15	4	11	27%	⚔ compare
SOUTHERN DUTCH BBQ	15	3	12	20%	⚔ compare
BBQ WIESEL	15	2	13	13%	⚔ compare
MISS PIGGY'S U.K.	15	1	14	7%	⚔ compare
LETZQ	14	7	7	50%	⚔ compare
BBQ LONGHORN RANCH HANDS	14	3	11	21%	⚔ compare
IQ - NETHERLANDS	14	1	13	7%	⚔ compare
White Squirrel BBQ	13	4	9	31%	⚔ compare
LOW AND SLOW MEISTER	12	8	4	67%	⚔ compare
SMOKE ON THE WILD SIDE	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	32	14	1	3	174.2856	152.5256	164.87	top 44%
Pork Ribs	31	12	0	2	176.5600	149.1316	162.59	top 47%
Pork	31	4	0	0	177.1772	138.2172	158.44	top 63%
Brisket	31	11	0	1	173.7372	144.4800	160.76	top 50%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By state / province

Where	Contests	Avg finish
BZ	7	top 65%
NL	4	top 49%
DE	2	top 20%
BE	2	top 38%
IT	1	top 89%
EU	1	top 48%

By contest size

Field	Contests	Avg finish
Small (<20 teams)	2	top 91%
Medium (20–39)	18	top 53%
Large (40+)	11	top 38%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	6	4	top 60%	2023-02-25
Regahfest 2016	2	10	top 45%	2016-08-27
Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition	2	35	top 56%	2016-05-14

The story so far (16 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9.4 yrs 2014-10-10 → 2024-02-24

Busiest season 2016 9 contests

Contests a season 3.2 across 10 seasons in the data

Cooks most in BZ 7 of 32 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 24 3 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 32 entries · 1 win · 14 calls

Strongest meat Chicken averages 164.87 · weakest Pork (158.44)

Walk rate 81% a top-10 call in 26 of 32 contests

Overall top-10 rate 28% 9 of 32 contests

Best top-10 run 3 straight contests

Master average 646.60 out of 720 · 31 contests · 0 GCs

Opponents faced 395 650–515 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 16,135 32 mapped stops · furthest 4,922 mi

Schedule strength 1529 average field rating faced — tougher than 21% of rated contests

Longest layoff 2.1 yrs 2020-01-18 → 2022-03-12

Power rating 1511 peak 1572 · #2805 of 6,413 rated

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

2014
Oct 10 First tracked contest Ruhrpott BBQ
2015
May 9 First call Beers, Fries & BBQ II - The Belgian Championship Low & Slow BBQ
Jun 27 First overall past 90% of a perfect score648.4340 Delft Beer & BBQ Fest
Aug 29 First category win (Chicken) Regahfest
Aug 29 First overall top-10 Regahfest
2016
May 8 10th tracked contest Beers, Fries & BBQ III - The Belgian Championship Low & Slow BBQ
Jul 23 Career-best overall score679.4288 Black Forrest Smoke & Wine Festival
2017
Apr 15 Peak power rating (1572) Eastern BBQ Contest
2018
Jun 30 25th tracked contest BBQ an der Burg 2018
2019
Jan 19 Career-best single call (Pork)177.1772 W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest
2024
Feb 24 Most recent contest W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.6	2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015	2015-09-25
+12.9	3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016	2016-09-24
+10.6	W.E.S.T.Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	2017-01-14
+9.5	Beers, Fries & BBQ III - The Belgian Championship Low & Slow BBQ	2016-05-08
+7.7	Eastern BBQ Contest	2017-04-15

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-13.9	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol	2024-02-24
-13.3	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	2022-03-12
-13.1	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	2023-02-25
-9.3	BBQ an der Burg 2018	2018-06-30
-6.8	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest	2020-01-18

Category scores over time

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2024	1	0	0	0%	top 96%	81.6%	81.6%
2023	1	0	0	0%	top 96%	86.1%	86.1%
2022	2	0	0	100%	top 93%	85.3%	85.3%
2020	1	0	0	0%	top 71%	85.9%	85.9%
2019	1	1	0	100%	top 30%	93.3%	93.3%
2018	4	0	0	100%	top 59%	90.5%	88.6%
2017	6	2	0	100%	top 39%	93.8%	91%
2016	9	4	0	89%	top 44%	94.4%	91.4%
2015	6	2	1	83%	top 41%	92.9%	90.1%
2014	1	0	0	0%	top 48%	87.7%	87.7%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2024-02-24	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol Rein in Taufers, BZ	25 / 26 (587.7944)	26 (152.5256)	25 (150.8344)	26 (138.2172)	24 (146.2172)
2023-02-25	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	22 / 23 (620.0228)	18 (158.3200)	22 (152.6056)	21 (153.6800)	19 (155.4172)
2022-06-03	Small Town Smoke Down Bassano Alberta Bassano, AB	—	3 (166.8344)	—	—	—
2022-03-12	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	14 / 15 (614.1828)	15 (155.4400)	10 (162.8572)	14 (144.5028)	12 (151.3828)
2020-01-18	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	20 / 28 (618.2400)	24 (153.1656)	22 (154.8228)	19 (154.2400)	18 (156.0116)
2019-01-19	W.E.S.T. Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	9 / 30 (672.1144)	15 (164.6400)	10 (168.0000)	4 (177.1772)	20 (162.2972)
2018-09-22	5th Ruhrpott BBQ 2018 Waltrop,	35 / 73 (637.0744)	9 (168.5828)	62 (149.1316)	29 (160.5256)	36 (158.8344)
2018-06-30	BBQ an der Burg 2018 Geestland, 27574	22 / 30 (623.4172)	7 (167.4628)	23 (154.8456)	24 (153.1200)	24 (147.9888)
2018-04-28	KCBS Greek Fire Festival 2018 Reichshof, 51580	18 / 32 (639.4516)	20 (161.1200)	9 (164.0000)	30 (146.8800)	9 (167.4516)
2018-01-13	W.E.S.T. Winter extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	17 / 30 (651.5660)	20 (164.5828)	14 (163.4744)	25 (153.7028)	8 (169.8060)
2017-09-22	4th Ruhrpott BBQ 2017 Waltrop NRW, Germany,	37 / 66 (635.8976)	33 (162.8688)	5 (170.2972)	57 (148.5144)	40 (154.2172)
2017-07-22	2nd Black Forest Smoke & Wine Festival Bad Bellingen, 79418	14 / 40 (675.3828)	19 (168.5600)	25 (162.2400)	12 (171.4056)	8 (173.1772)
2017-07-01	BBQ An Der Burg Geestland, , 27574	14 / 25 (640.4228)	10 (162.8456)	17 (157.0972)	22 (153.0628)	3 (167.4172)
2017-05-13	Beer,Fries & BBQ IV Hasselt, 3800	27 / 50 (643.8172)	29 (162.8000)	38 (154.2516)	35 (158.8000)	7 (167.9656)
2017-04-15	Eastern BBQ Contest Ninove, Belgium, g400	9 / 41 (660.5488)	9 (169.1200)	8 (169.1772)	15 (167.4172)	25 (154.8344)
2017-01-14	W.E.S.T.Winter Extreme South Tyrol BBQ Contest Rein in Taufers, BZ	4 / 30 (674.7888)	7 (170.8344)	20 (161.6916)	5 (173.1544)	4 (169.1084)
2016-09-24	3rd Ruhrpott BBQ 2016 Waltrop NRW, DE	6 / 67 (669.7488)	4 (173.1200)	4 (172.6172)	43 (156.5716)	13 (167.4400)
2016-09-17	Het BBQ Kampionenschap Van Het Waasland Nikiaas, Belgium, BE	16 / 29 (643.9088)	12 (167.4400)	7 (166.2744)	24 (154.8000)	19 (155.3944)
2016-08-27	Regahfest 2016 Den Hagg, NL	20 / 35 (657.0516)	8 (172.5828)	16 (165.1316)	28 (159.3600)	25 (159.9772)
2016-07-23	Black Forrest Smoke & Wine Festival Millheim, DE	9 / 29 (679.4288)	7 (174.2856)	2 (176.5600)	25 (160.0116)	10 (168.5716)
2016-07-02	Prime UVE INVITATIONAL BARBECUE CHAMPIONSHIP unrated Gaiarine, Italy, IT	16 / 18 (661.0628)	6 (172.5600)	4 (172.5600)	18 (154.2284)	17 (161.7144)
2016-05-14	Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition Hoofddorp Netherlands, NL	35 / 65 (646.2284)	35 (163.9656)	43 (159.3828)	53 (153.7256)	9 (169.1544)
2016-05-08	Beers, Fries & BBQ III - The Belgian Championship Low & Slow BBQ Hasselt, Belgium, BE	8 / 40 (667.9088)	17 (167.3828)	8 (165.6916)	14 (164.5372)	6 (170.2972)
2016-04-23	Baseball & BBQ Cookoff II Hoofdorp, NL	10 / 34 (657.6344)	5 (169.7028)	21 (159.9772)	10 (165.7028)	16 (162.2516)
2016-03-19	Meat the East Enschede, NL	18 / 33 (642.7544)	22 (162.2400)	14 (164.0000)	28 (153.1200)	17 (163.3944)
2015-09-25	2nd Ruhrpott BBQ 2015 Herten, NRW,	6 / 67 (668.5832)	28 (165.1200)	26 (161.7144)	12 (168.0116)	4 (173.7372)
2015-08-29	Regahfest Den Haag, Zuid-Holland,	10 / 30 (651.9088)	1 (170.2972)	13 (162.2516)	27 (153.0628)	8 (166.2972)
2015-08-01	Smoke in the North Gunnilse/Gothenburg,	12 / 26 (643.8628)	15 (158.2516)	3 (170.8228)	16 (157.6800)	17 (157.1084)
2015-06-27	Delft Beer & BBQ Fest Delft, The Netherlands,	13 / 20 (648.4340)	2 (170.8112)	4 (168.5828)	12 (164.5600)	19 (144.4800)
2015-05-23	Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition Hoofddorp Netherlands,	40 / 68 (634.2288)	48 (157.7144)	30 (161.7144)	31 (161.6800)	49 (153.1200)
2015-05-09	Beers, Fries & BBQ II - The Belgian Championship Low & Slow BBQ Kapermolenpark / Hasselt / Bel,	12 / 38 (645.6224)	9 (164.5828)	13 (160.5256)	6 (167.4056)	22 (153.1084)
2014-10-10	Ruhrpott BBQ Gelsenkirchen, Germany, EU	28 / 58 (631.3716)	41 (156.0000)	30 (157.1544)	20 (162.8344)	28 (155.3828)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)

Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2018 ↗	Master	#1784 (95 pts)	#1898 (80 pts)	#1771 (110 pts)	#2534 (55 pts)	#1481 (150 pts)
2017 ↗	Master	#569 (690 pts)	#626 (640 pts)	#643 (630 pts)	#687 (600 pts)	#459 (870 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#421 (940 pts)	#350 (1060 pts)	#319 (1135 pts)	#674 (600 pts)	#439 (915 pts)